Cessna 172S accident near Lake Wells, Florida, February 14, 2007
On February 14, 2007 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172S, registered N289SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wells, Florida (Chalet Suzanne Airstrip airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the flight instructor's inadequate compensation for the gusty crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2007 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wells, Florida · Chalet Suzanne Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172S · all 172Ss on the register
- Registration
- N289SP · no longer on the register · serial 172S9475
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane drug both wing tips while landing in gusty crosswind conditions. The flight instructor reported that about 4 miles from the airport they attempted to contact the airstrip on the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency to obtain wind and airport advisories, but were unsuccessful in raising anyone. They then overflew the airport and looked for wind indicators, but did not find any. The instructor then used a nearby lake to judge the winds and decided to land on runway 36. Applying wind correction on final approach, the instructor landed on the center of the runway. A sudden and very strong wind gust turned the airplane to the right. The instructor said she attempted to correct with left rudder but was unable to maintain control and both wing tips contacted the ground, structurally damaging both wings. The instructor stated that there were no pre accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. An aviation weather reporting station, located 9 nautical miles west, listed the winds as from the west at 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 528 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 1, 2007; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Adf Airways Corp
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 7:15 pm
- Destination: X25 Lake Wells FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,313 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 2:51 pm from KBOW, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.